Military

Report: US Never Checked How $35 Billion in Europe Defense Aid Was Spent Since 2015

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US has spent more than $35 billion in the past nine years to boost the military preparedness of its NATO European allies against alleged Russian aggression; however, to date, the Pentagon has failed to ever determine if the funds were spent properly, a new government report has determined.
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The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a new report that event though the US spent tens of billions on NATO preparedness, the Defense Department has still not set out any performance goals or assessment programs to see if the money has been spent properly, or effectively at all.
"The [Department of Defense's] European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) helps boost the military readiness of European allies and deter Russian aggression," the GAO said.
Since 2015 the United States has spent $35 billion through the initiative on activities like supporting American troop deployments in Europe, the report noted.
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However, "the Defense Department hasn't established performance goals and measures to determine if the resources are being used effectively. We recommended that it do so," the GAO report said.
The Defense Department has not established performance goals and measures for EDI even though the lavishly funded initiative has supported a variety of military activities in Europe, including troop rotations, intelligence activities, and construction of projects such as airfields, ranges, and other military facilities, the GAO said.
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